Pepsi is "returning as the title sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show for the next four years," according to Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Sources last week said that terms "had been agreed to but that a deal was not complete." Driving the deal is Pepsi’s “desire to link its sports and music platforms with the biggest sports event in America.” The idea is a “season long music and sports platform that could be leveraged at retail throughout the season and would culminate in the usual Super Bowl halftime appearance by a major musical act.” Bridgestone has sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show since ‘08 and one source “put the deal at upward of" $7M a year. Pepsi was the “last Super Bowl halftime show sponsor prior to Bridgestone, underwriting a memorable 2007 set by Prince in heavy rain in Miami during Super Bowl XLI” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/25 issue). Meanwhile, in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, John Ourand reports CBS has sold 80% of the Super Bowl’s game ad inventory and "is moving into the summer with a handful of spots left to sell.” Sources said that CBS is “asking a record-high" $3.8M per 30-second spot for the game, "which has set U.S. television viewership records for the past three years.” CBS three weeks ago was saying that the game was 50% sold, so the latest figure "shows a lot of inventory moved in the ensuing weeks.” CBS last aired the Super Bowl in '10 and network Exec VP/Sports Sales & Marketing John Bogusz said, “The game has moved early. We’re certainly well ahead of where we were three years ago” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/25 issue).
